Lots of love, lots of chirps at first-ever Champions for Charity Weigh-in
By Jeff Hicks
CAMBRIDGE —
Hugs. Fist bumps and flexes. Verbal jabs.
Wednesday’s Weigh-in and Press Conference for Mandy Bujold’s Champions for Charity had it all.
One of the 20 first-time boxers — who’ve collectively raised $575,000 and council for McMaster Children’s Hospital — was even serenaded with a thunderous rendition of Happy Birthday by hundreds at Tapestry Hall.
There was singing. There was chirping.
“That’s a real pretty nose,” said the Blue Team’s Beth Borody with a mischievous smile, staring down April 4 opponent, Jillian Lawrie, for The Brawl at Tapestry Hall. “I’ve always wanted to knock somebody out.”
All in good fun, right?
Chest-thumps and bicep kisses. Two-footed box jumps onto the stage.
In eight days, the gloves and wraps will go on for real in a community event for boxers that has raised more than $1-million for MacKids over three editions starting in 2019.
Twenty business leaders and local professionals — Borody runs the Femina Collective for women in mining around the globe while Lawrie is with the United Way — will take part in forming 10 bouts after 15 weeks of intense training with the coaches of the Sydfit Health Centre in Kitchener.
The training? Lawrie shrugs it off.
“It was easy,” she said.
The women fighters weren’t the only one to take some verbal swings with two-time Olympian Bujold overseeing the event’s first-ever weigh-in.
Local construction giants Paul Sousa, from Cambridge, and John Deans, born in Ireland, let the insults fly too.
Sousa suggested “Johnny Irish” might lose his accent in their forthcoming donnybrook. Deans told the 5-foot-7 Sousa that he doesn’t have an accent.
“I’m really looking forward to beating up a leprechaun,” the much-taller Deans shot back.
One pint-sized title belt was handed out on Wednesday night.
That went to 9-year-old Wyatt Henrich of Ayr.
He walked 10 km for MacKids through Glen Morris, despite a hip condition, and raised $20,000 for the cause. He wore a backwards ball cap with a big W on it and got big hugs from his mom Ashley, Bujold and his uncle Jason Hunke — one of the Champions for Charity fighters.
Henrich can’t wait to watch his uncle in the ring next week.
“I liked when my uncle came up to the stage,” said Henrich, who thought the weigh-in night was petty cool and enjoyed all the music the fighters went put to.
Champions fighter Harmony Voisin, who turned 44 Wednesday, strutted up to the stage with 50 Cent’s It’s Your Birthday blaring.
Voisin released her inner rapper while fellow fighter Anne Filiatrault, a mild-mannered oil painter, spoke of releasing her inner demon in the ring.
A week from Fight Night, talk was cheap and plenty.
Gratitude for the Champs — their volunteers and sponsors and their combined fundraising efforts — was abundant. McMaster Children’s Hospital gets 30,000 visits from Waterloo Region each year.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you,” said Milaina Wright, director of partnerships for Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
“Every single dollar that’s raised through this event goes straight to patient care and we’re so grateful.”
Bujold declared everyone a winner for charity before the first punch was thrown.
“Win or lose, in my mind, you are all winners,” Bujold said for MacKids officials. “Winners for this charity and this community.”
Check out full Live Stream event – https://www.youtube.com/live/R2zT3P11aes?si=1HNUGDCFaUdZSqIb
